RUSSELL, NEW ZEALAND—Christine Aronson is showing off a wonderfully intricate, wildly colourful painting in her sun-filled gallery on New Zealand’s North Island. There are millions of tiny dots made from equally tiny brushes and even daubs of paint applied by toothpick.

Aronson’s Just Imagine gallery is a cutting-edge shop that sells everything from dangly earrings made in Israel to cast-glass purses. One room features a statue called Occupational Hazards, the outline of a guy who looks like Johnny Depp dotted with shells and millions of tiny bits and woodworking art that looks like something from the Haida of British Columbia.

Her gallery is probably the poshest bit in this town of some 800 permanent residents, tucked into a beautiful, protected cove in New Zealand’s Bay of Islands region, a stunningly beautiful stretch of rocky islets dotted with pines and thick grasses and dotted with empty beaches that edge up against aquamarine waters.

It’s a town with French, Maori and British influences, with colonial architecture and a charming, historic church.

“I think it’s the most unique village in New Zealand,” says Aronson.

The Duke of Marlborough pub, which serves fine, local fish and, of course, lamb, sits perhaps 20 feet from the bay, with glorious al fresco dining and cozy hotel rooms. It’s the oldest pub in New Zealand, dating to 1827.

Whaling was big here back in the day, which meant not only money but lonely sailors eager to spend their limited earnings on women and booze. One tour guide said Russell in its heyday was known as “The Hellhole of the Pacific.”

Today it’s positively bucolic, with bright lavender agapantha flowers lining the fence of the old police station and brilliant sailboats dotting a bay that’s fronted by a series of small shops and restaurants.

The Church of Christ, an Anglican church just a block or so in from the bay, dates to 1836 and still has holes in the sides of the building from musket balls fired during the Maori Wars. Inside is a memorial to fallen sailors from the wrecked HMS Hazard, with a tribute that reads: “The warlike of the isles, the men of field and wave, are not the rocks their funeral piles, the seas and shore their grave.”

It’s said that Charles Darwin was here for eight or nine days when the church was being built. The church’s fundraising ledges list includes “Captain Fitzroy, Mr. Charles Darwin and officers of the HMS Beagle.”

The church has a tidy, historical cemetery that’s the resting place of Tamata Waka Nene, a Maori leader who sided with the British in the local wars. Not everyone, of course, agreed with his point of view. It’s said the local Maori leader on three separate occasions registered his displeasure by hacking down the English flagpole in Russell, known as Karororeka in the native tongue.

Karororeka is the name given to a hiking trail outside of town, which winds through thickets of gnarly pohotukawa trees, the click and clack of cicadas barking a beat as you wander past the trees and towering, primordial ferns.

Russell is hardly a tourist spot in the vein of Rotorua, Queenstown or Auckland, but it did have a moment in the sun a couple years when the final episode of “The Bachelor” TV show was filmed at nearby Eagles Nest, a series of villas dotting a hillside overlooking the bay.

Cullum Farnell of Eagles Nest says when the crew of “The Bachelor” went into town one night, they stopped at the local pizza place and ordered 200 pies.

“I was there at 1 a.m. and the guy was still making them, madly at work. I had to break the news to him that everyone had gone home.”

JUST THE FACTS

ARRIVING: The Bay of Islands is served by the Kerkikeri/Bay of Islands airport, a charming facility where you can sit outside in the sun and sip a cappuccino while you watch your plane land. It’s maybe a half-hour from the airport to Russell, which is reached most easily via a ferry from the tourist town of Paihia. It’s about a three-hour drive to the Bay of Islands from Auckland.

DOING: Hiking in and around the islands is popular, as is mountain biking. For a real feel for the bay, however, there’s nothing like a boat trip. If the ferry ride isn’t enough, you can take in a Maori war canoe ride and get a cultural tour at the same time with Taiamai Tours Heritage Journeys ( www.taimaiatours.co.nz). Catamarans can be hired for $30 for an hour, or kayaks for $15. Swimming with wild dolphins in the cool, green water and whale-watching are popular. The fabulous Kauri Cliffs golf course is just north of Kerikeri and features a great layout on a killer piece of land high above the Bay of Islands. www.kauricliffs.com. On a budget? Just stretch out on the sand at Long Beach, right behind the town of Russell, and admire the views.

The Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where the Maori and British signed their peace agreement, is across the bay from Russell and adjacent to Paihia. The Treaty Grounds are open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (summer season) and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the rest of the year. There’s lovely scenery and shows, crafts and the Treaty House Museum, as well as guided tours and Maori cultural performances. www.waitangi.net.nz.

SLEEPING: Eagles Nest, a short walk up a steep hill or a two-minute drive from Russell, has been ranked as one of the country’s top accommodations and often makes worldwide lists. The villas are modern and lushly appointed in shades of white and grey, with enormous windows to look out toward the Bay of Islands. There are beautiful decks and infinity pools that are big enough to get up a good head of steam during your morning laps. There’s free soft drinks and fruit and they stock your fridge with whatever you might want for breakfast. A villa for two people goes for about $1,350 per night but you can get a villa that sleeps six for $1,800. www.eaglesnest.co.nz.

The nearby Titore Lodge gets very good reviews and has luxury accommodations for less than $300 a night. www.attitorelodge.com. The Duke of Marlborough has small rooms in winter for as little as $92, but a waterfront room in high season might cost closer to $260. www.theduke.co.nz. There are a slew of motels over in Paihia, often for about $100 in high season.

WHEN TO GO: December and January is high season, with the hottest temperatures. But May (their fall) is a fine time, with reduced prices and hardly any crowds and daytime highs in the low teens.

DINING/DRINKING: The Duke of Marlborough in Russell serves up everything from fish and chips and burgers to local oysters and lamb, with a great outdoor patio for sunsets or soaking up some rays. Nearby Kamakura is slightly more elegant, with an emphasis on fresh seafood, as well as exotic fare like papardelle with rabbit. Expect to pay about $20 to $30 for entrees. Cheaper meals can be found a block inland at Tuk Tuk Thai. And don’t forget the local wines. They make very good syrah in this part of New Zealand, which has warmer temperatures than much of the country.

FURTHER AFIELD: Kerikeri’s Stone Store, which sits on the placid Kerikeri Basin in a lovely, park setting, is an old stone building and store that even sells Hudson’s Bay blankets. North of the Bay of Islands is Doubtless Bay, home to the charming community of Mangonui, a two-block-long town with a great spot for fish and chips and cute shops, including the Post Office Café. Accommodation options include the Mangonui Hotel and Motel, with rooms for backpackers for less than $20 and double rooms for about $75. Just north is Coopers Beach, where you can get a room in a lodge or rent a modest, two-bedroom “bach” that’s steps from the beach for $100 a night and save a ton of money by making your own dinners. At high tide, dig down in the soft sand at the beach for tua-tua: a variety of clam that can be steamed or even barbecued. Stop at Out of the Blue for fresh seafood to cook at home or get four giant pieces of perfectly moist Hapuka fish plus chips for about $20. Coopers Beach is ideal for strolling and is quite protected because of nearby headlands. Taupo Bay, a little to the south, looks like something out of Tahiti or Hawaii, with tall spires of volcanic rock backing a lovely beach.

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